``The project simply did not attract any bids,'' Town Manager Richard J. Johnson told the town council Tuesday. ``It appears the workload of area contractors diminished interest in bidding.''

But Johnson is holding out hope that the $350,000 project can still be completed this fall. The project has been re-bid, with results expected back Aug. 29. The project is expected to take 75 days to complete whenever the work is underway.

The work would shore up the supports of the bridge built in 1871, provide additional drainage and reuse the existing stone on the wall fascia in an effort to retain the historic nature of the bridge. New bridge parapets would be put in along with steel-backed wood guide rails.

The bridge, along Naubuc Avenue just north of the Route 3 underpass near the East Hartford line, handles about 3,000 vehicles a day. But the current 20-foot span is considered obsolete because of its width, elevation and slope protection.

Town officials have said annual flooding from nearby Keeney Cove and the Connecticut River exacerbates the problem by saturating the walls and soil behind the bridge and exerting additional pressure on the structure.

Under the plan, the bridge's original walls will be removed and large boulders will be used as fill. A drainage system will be placed behind the walls to remove excess water.

The structure will be rebuilt using the existing brownstone blocks and back-filled by using lighter soils that won't become saturated when the river floods.

The span will be raised about 6 inches, which should help reduce road closures by half during annual spring flooding.